McGuigan of Northern Ireland, won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1978, he
also represented Ireland in the 1980 Olympic Games where he lost in the round of 16. On June 8, 1985 in Dublin, McGuigan
defeated Eusebio Pedroza for the WBA Featherweight Championship. On June 23, 1986
after two successful defenses of his title, McGuigan lost to Steve Cruz in Las Vegas. He finished his pro career with a record of 32-2 with 28 knockouts.